Selene is a young woman trying to fulfill her destiny as the heir to the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt. Her notorious mother, Cleopatra, used her beauty and her wiles to win herself a kingdom and all the power that comes with it, but met a tragic end too soon. Selene has spent much of her life as a captive of Rome, and as such, is subject to the whims and vagaries of Caesar Augustus. When Augustus demands that she marry to secure his stronghold in Mauritania, she obeys, but determines that no man shall reign over her. Instead, she takes action to become what she was born to be...a powerful queen revered both as a ruler and as a goddess. Will her ambition be her downfall?

Cleopatra is one of the most memorable women in history, but her daughter Selene is made even more memorable when the actual historical events from her life are given a fictional treatment with a spot-on attention to detail. This book is wonderfully written, with multi-layered characters that fairly leap off the page. Vibrant, earthy and seductive, Selene enchants her husband and the emperor in equal measure, as well as everyone around her. Song of the Nile is a veritable buffet of political maneuverings, religious strife and breathtaking imagery. I found Selene simply fascinating, and the author married history and fiction so seamlessly that readers will really feel like they are watching the past unfold around them. This is an elegant, impeccable look at Roman civilization, the magic of goddess worship and the tenuous balance between power and passion. Five Angels!

Reviewed by: Michelle B.